Deception Diary
by silentnights626
Summary: Joanna logs in her formative teen years, and life in the Bower house.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello. So I am starting to enjoy Deception so much more now that the storyline is starting do develop. And I really love the look backs at the scenes between Julian and Joanna when they were young teens in love (or whatever they were cause I'm not exactly what they were back then). So I decided to start what I think Joanna's diary would look like back then. So here is one of the first entries. It may jump around a bit to build up their back story, and it may change ratings (not sure yet). Anyway I always ask my readers to do three things:**

**Please Read, enjoy, and comment (if ya like it)**

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_July 14 1993,_

_Dear Diary,_

_Something strange happened today in the kitchen, and I don't know exactly what it means. I mean I know what happened but what I mean is I don't know what it means. It all started when Viv and I were having an argument..._

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"You can't be serious Jo?" Vivian crumpled over in a loud laughter, rolling around her queen sized bed, lightly knocking into her friend. The bubbly blonde lifted her head to look into the mahogany eyes of her best friend to find her face drawn into a serious stare, causing her to laugh even harder.

"What?" Joanna questioned, seriously not understanding what her friend so amusing about her answer to her question. This elicited a loud snort of laughter from the other girl across from her. "What's wrong with that?" she repeated wondering why she had all of a sudden unintentionally became a comedian.

"Because" Vivian finally sat up, her boisterous laughter subsiding to a giggle allowing her to explain her reaction. "Nobody waits until marriage now a days. That idea is only in fairytales and Disney movies" she shook her head. "You are so naive Jo"

"No I'm not" Joanna defended, her back stiffening, unhappy she was being seen as a baby. "A lot of people do"

"Yeah ugly girls" Vivian scoffed "and girls who can't get dates. They wait. And you're neither of thoes" she waved off, as she stood up off of her bed to the large bay windows in her room, allowing the cool lake breeze to waft in. "I mean come on Jo. Most of the girls I went to camp with this summer weren't even virgins anymore" she revealed as she gathered a cotton towel to place under the door crack of her room. "They were having sex with some of the older counselors and everything" she chuckled as she went into her sock drawer, pulling out her "secret stash" from an old Kodak film holder. She pulled out her rolling papers off of her desk before plopping down on the bed across from her friend. "Everyone is doing it and you won't even _kiss_ anyone before marriage? Not happening Jo."

"Well first off, I'm not interested in what the kids at your camp did" Joanna started as she watched her friend meticulous rolling technique. "I'm not like them. And why not wait to kiss? I mean why do I have to do it just because someone else wants to?"

"Because, those where the rules when our parents were kids, when they had "sock hops" and stupid things like that." Vivian explained right before she licked the cigarette closed. "We are a new generation. We can make our own rules now. And if it feels right why not?"

"Well did you sleep with the counselors?" Joanna questioned as Vivian searched for a lighter in her bedside stand.

"Eww no" Vivian turned her nose up in disgust "I don't do the help" she dimissed with an air of arrogance. She then looked up suddenly remembering who she was speaking with. Joanna folded her arms and pressed her lips into a tight frown. She hated when Vivian went away to camp. She always came back after having spent so much time with her wealthy peers, with their vocabulary and snob responses that took months for her to break. "You know what I mean" She quickly back tracked knowing she had offended the one person she trusted. "Plus you're not help" she said taking a long drag.

"Then what am I?" Joanna asked still very much offended.

"Family" Vivian answered releasing the smoke from her lungs before handing the cigarette to Joanna. "You're my sister, the one I never got" Joanna reluctantly took the peace offering she was given, taking a drag while making a mental note that she would have to start her deprogramming sooner than later. "But no I didn't mess with any of the counselors. But I did mess around a little with someone" Vivian smiled deviously, knowing she had been holding that information from her friend.

"With who?" Joanna coughed a bit handing the cigarette back.

Vivian smiled pushing her blonde strands out of her face before giggling "Mark"

"Mark Swartz?!" Joanna coughed shocked and caught off guard. "You have got to be kidding me! Viv isn't he a senior? And-"

"The Captain of the Football team" Vivian smiled taking another pull before handing it back to Joanna. "Yep that Mark." She grinned proud of her conquest impressed with herself that she could attract someone so much older.

Joanna sat back with a pensive look on her face as she smoked. "Well?" she asked after thinking for a moment, the smoke escaping her lips.

"Well what?" Vivian shrugged as she wiggled her toes, relaxing against her pillow.

"Well how far did you two go?" Joanna asked getting more specific but not wanting to seem too nasty.

Vivian thought a moment before taking back cigarette to take a last drag. "Second base" she smiled as a flash back hit her. She looked up to Joanna's face, seeing that she didn't fully believe her. "Okay, third" she giggled coming completely clean.

"Viv!" Joanna giggled putting out their contraband.

"What?!" Vivian laughed taking her pillow to her chest laughing. "It was the fourth, and fireworks were going off across the sky" she shrugged. "And in my pants" she added a but under her breath.

"Vivian!" Joanna laughed hitting her friend with a pillow

"What they were" Vivian reposed hitting Joanna back with a small decorative cushion before settling beside her friend. "It was nice"

"So is he your-"

"Boyfriend?" Vivian scoffed. "No. It was a summer thing, that it. There was a lot of summer things going on. Julian hook up with Babbette Callindor. That skank." Vivian closed with an eye roll. Joanna just laid next to her friend, as all of the muscles in her body seemed to melt as she got the chance to get reacquainted with her friend and her voice. "And Mindy Rogers... And Kathleen" Vivian ran down her brother's summer "to do" list.

"Sounds like it was an eventful summer" Joanna sighed.

"Yeah, but I missed you. All of the girls there are so... fake. Most of them were nice to me to either get to Julian or even Edward. I even had a counselor try to buddy up to me, in the hopes I will give her his number." Vivian admitted, Joanna sensing the loneliness in her voice that was left over from the break.

She knew she genuinely missed Joanna, from the weekly letters they exchanged. While Vivian was out at camp, becoming "well adjusted" teenage girl, Joanna was at the Bower estate, with her mystery books, and mother, helping out around the house when needed. Although she hated when the children left for camp, she knew her mother loved the break from caring for the family. Because while the children were away, Mr. and Mrs. Bowers took it as an opportunity to travel alone without their off-spring. That left a lot of time for Joanna and her mother to hang out together, going shopping in the city, and even traveling up the coast to the Jersey Shore for a weekend. And although her mother tried to make that time special for her baby, Joanna still missed her friend dearly.

"I missed you too" Joanna sighed as a breezed lightly lifted the sheer curtains that framed the window.

"You know what else I missed?" Vivian questioned after a moment

"What?" Joanna wondered out loud.

"The yummy popsicles your mom gets us" she cooed in a seemingly convincing voice.

"Ugh Viv" Joanna whined knowing that what she was really asking was for her to go and get her one.

"Plllleeeeaaaasssseee" Vivian begged rolling towards Joanna shaking her slightly. "I'm way too-"

"I know. I know" Joanna sighed as she got up with a huff "way too baked to go. I got it" she waved off slipping on her flip flops and straightening out her light hoodie.

"Thanks Jo" Vivian smiled laying back on the bed before adding "And can you make sure mine is cherry?"

"Yeah yeah yeah" Joanna groaned kicking the towel from out of the crack and opening the door.

It was always weird for Joanna to wonders the halls of the Bowers residence without Vivian close in toe. She knew they saw her as family, and secretly a good influence on Vivian her mother allowed it to slip one time in conversation. But Joanna was very much aware that she was not biological family in any sense, and made sure to always act "respectful" whenever she ran into one of the Bower parents in their own home when she wasn't with their daughter. Luckily both of them were still vacationing for the summer, finding that their children where more than capable of caring for themselves with the help of the staff, until they returned.

Joanna sighed once she reached the kitchen. She opened the freezer, looking around a bit before locating the box she was searching for. She stood silently in front of the open door, allowing the cool air to whip across the exposed areas of her skin. The house was silent, most of the cleaning having been done, but right before the chef would be back to start preparing dinner. She always felt the house felt more like a museum at this time of day than an actual home with children in it. She seemed almost in a trans, from the soothing air, and silence.

"BOO!"

Joanna jumped as she felt two hands at her waist, clasping around her, jolting her out of her almost meditative state. She let out a yelp, allowing the door to slam shut. She turned to find Julian smiling, proud of his handy work. His hair slicked back, and his shirt sticking to him having put it back on while still wet after his afternoon swim.

"Gosh Julian!" Joanna shouted, her heart pounding uncontrollably from fright.

Julian laughed hardily doubling over in amusement of his prank. She could always hear Vivian when Julian laughed. They shared the same tone when they laughed. A sound they both inherited from their mother. Joanna, however did not find it funny, placing her hands on her hips in anger as Julian pointed as tears streamed from his eyes. "You should 'a seen your face" he guffawed "Priceless!"

"Yeah, well nice to see you too Julian" Joann huffed in as she ignored his laughter to return to the task at hand, the retrieval a cold treat for she and Vivian. She expected Julian to go about his day, reveling in his successful scare, but instead heard him pull out one of the stools at the kitchen island.

"So did you missed me?" he asked in his always cocky, yet oddly charming style. Her mother never liked that about him. She would always point out how he seemed to "familiar" with everyone he spoke to.

"No" Joanna huffed retrieving the box. pulling out two popsicles, making sure one was cherry, per Vivian's request.

"Well why not?" Julian playfully pouted faking disappointment. "I missed you"

"Yeah right" Joanna laughed as she turned her back to the young man to put the box back in the freezer. "Sounds like you were too "busy" with other things to miss me"

"Really?" He asked standing.

"Yep" Joanna smirked into the light of the freezer "Unless Babbette magically looks like me now" she joked. "With all of the girls at camp, you had more than enough to keep your mind off of me"

"Well I did" his voice dropping its light tone, for a more serious one. "I thought about you a lot this summer actually" he confessed.

"Well" she sighed ignoring whatever trick she figured he had up his sleeve "like I said, I heard you had enough to keep your mind "occupied" where I shouldn't have even come up"

She turned to find him right behind her again, standing extremely close to her. Almost pressing her against the door of the freezer. "I did" he insisted, his eyes baring down on her. Joanna felt nervous, noticing they had never been that close before, his body less than a few inches from hers. She gulped, her mouth suddenly dry. Julian brought his hand up towards her face caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. Other than little playful fights, they hand never really touched, having been Vivian's friend, and Julian being nothing more than Vivian's older brother, they had never really been around each other alone. And although he was only a year and a few months older than she and Vivian, his behavior and personality made him always feel somehow much more advanced. He smiled a soft smile that caused a funny feeling in Joanna's stomach as she unflinchingly stared back into his eyes.

"You'll believe me one day" Julian smiled taking a few steps away from Joanna. "I'll make sure of it" he promised right before he exited the kitchen leaving her alone again, with a new set of thoughts. She froze in her place for a moment, unsure of what had just happened, and wondering what he meant by he was going to make sure she believed that she had crossed his mind a time or two the past vacation. She quickly shook herself from her shock, checked to make sure the popsicles hadn't began to thaw, and made her way back to Vivian's room.

"Goodness Jo I said get the popsicles from the freezer not the store" Vivian huffed, once Joanna finally made it back to her room.

"I-I ran into Julian" Joanna explained as she closed the door behind her and made her way back to Vivian's bed.

"Oh" Vivian looked up. "And?"

"Oh and he-" Joanna started but something in her gut told her to not tell Vivian about what had just transpired. That it would have been better for her to wait and see exactly what Julian meant. She looked up to find Vivian waiting expectantly for her to finish her sentence. "He just wanted to catch up" Joanna finished, handing her popsicle to her friend.

"Oh" Vivian responded. "Oh well, I guess it would take a while to run through all of his summer "loves"" Vivian quipped while opening her treat.

Joanna just smirked, her mind torn between what she had been told about Julian, and what he had just confessed in the kitchen.

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_I know what everyone says about him is kind of bad. But for some strange reason, for a split second, I believed him. That he did think about me this summer. But I don't know why. Or maybe Vivian is right. Maybe I am naive. Either way, it was strange of him to say._

_Joanna._


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi. So thanks for the feedback I got on the first chapter. Like I said this story is going to jump around a lot. So watch the date of the entry. I liked how the season finale closed. I hope we at least get a second season because the writing improved and hopefully can only go up from where it ended. I faith that they can give us a more even and power packed story if given another try. Anyway, if not, I enjoyed finding out who did it. I just need to know why though. She was his only bio daughter. Seems like all of the Bowers are messy though, and poor Mia is kidnapped? Yeah like I said I would like to see a second season. But until then here is another entry, with more to come. Oh yeah I don't own Deception, the characters, or anything on the show. Only the concepts for these little fic entries. That's all (forgot to say that in the first one). So as always please**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review.**

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_February 11, 1994_

_Dear Diary,_

_You know when you feel you've gotten someone totally figured out, that you know exactly how they are? And then just when you least expect it, that person does something so unexpected, so out of the blue, that it shocks you? It's so surprising, that it makes you rethink everything before that moment? Well that's what happened tonight..._

"Can you hand me my bracelet Jo?" Vivian beckoned perched in front of her vanity, as she meticulously pinned the last bit of her golden hair up.

Joanna slowly rolled off of the bed, and headed towards her friends jewelry box, filled with bobbles and trinkets. The contents of it had doubled since her mother's passing, when some of her prized possessions passed down to her daughter. Joanna fished through the levels of jewels. "Which one?" she asked finally giving up on trying to be a mind reader.

"The one you gave me" Vivian instructed as she applied another coat of mascara.

Joanna paused, slightly shocked for the request. The bracelet was not flashy or impressive by any means. It was a simple sterling silver bangle with a small charm with a Victorian print V in the center. Surely for this occasion, Vivian would want something much more impressive to wear then her gift. "Are you sure?" Joanna questioned pulling it from the pile.

"Yeah" Vivian huffed as she fixed her lipstick for the third time that night, wanting it to be perfect. "Why not? You gave it to me"

"Because it's so plain" Joanna shrugged handing it to her as she stared at her through the reflection of the mirror.

"Well it's one of my favorite pieces" Vivian admitted with a small smile as she slipped it onto her wrist. "It helps me feel, I don't know, safe when I wear it". Joanna smiled back at her softly, flattered that with all of the very expensive pieces she had, that her small token of friendship was one of her favorites.

"Okay, how do I look?" Vivian asked, swiveling around and out of her seat standing to reveal her attire for the night. A bright red dress with cobalt blue pumps. Her hair in a neat up-do helped to feature her bone structure.

"Beautiful" Joanna smiled, a tinge of sadness in her answer.

"Thanks!" Vivian smiled turning back to look at herself in the mirror. "I would have asked you to be my date to the dance but-"

"I know, you're not staying for the whole thing" Joanna informed her.

"I would but he doesn't want to go to the dance, and to be honest neither do I" Vivian grumbled. "So I'm going with Timothy for an hour and then ditching him"

"Who is this mystery man you're ditching your date for?" Joanna quizzed sliding back onto Vivian's bed, her long legs stretched out in front of her. "I mean you've been seeing him for months, but you refuse to let anyone meet him, even me. I know you said he's older. Is he like in college?"

Vivian sprayed a light misting of perfume, before setting the bottle back down. "He and I are a new thing" Vivian grinned obviously thinking about her new crush. "And we both agreed that it would be best if we kept us to ourselves, to prevent any... issues. But I will say he is very amazing, kind, gentle, and I can see myself in love with him forever" she sighed, in a dream like tone.

"Well who is this guy then?" Joanna repeated scooting towards the foot of the bed "Cause you know I have to screen him to make sure I approve"

Vivian gave a pregnant pause as she thought about her best friend's request. "Alright, I'll tell you who he is" she relented. "If you tell me who yours is"

Internally, Joanna flinched, but externally she went into full on defense mode. "What? I don't have any mystery man"

Vivian's eyes faded a bit. "Well, then you don't want to know that badly then" she shrugged placing a wall up. "Well" she huffed picking up her long warm coat, and small jeweled clutch. "I'm ready. Now I just have to see if Julian is ready since he and his date are riding with me and Tim"

Joanna followed a few paces behind Vivian as she made her way to the foyer. There Tim was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, next to Robert Bowers, and Julian and his date, a perky blonde named Kassandra. She was a family friend, the Bowers had known for years. The group was dressed to the nines in anticipation of the Valentine Day dance.

"Well it's nice of you to join us Viv" Robert joked as he kissed his daughter softly on the temple once she had made her way to the bottom of the stairs. "Okay everyone, get together" he ordered, pulling out his extremely expensive, photographer grade camera to capture the moment. The group piled in close, for a photo. Robert began to take picture after picture, directing the obviously ready to go teens, with each shot as Joanna watched from the top of the stairs, still dressed in her pajama's for the night.

"God Dad, what's with all of the photos?" Vivian hissed after the sixth direction.

"I am a proud father" Robert said innocently. "And I want to capture the moment for posterity. Now one more. Make it a fun one!" he shouted.

With that Kassandra pulled Julian's cheek to her lips, his face shocked from the gesture, while Tim made a silly face, while Vivian rolled her eyes in disgust. After the kiss, Julian's eyes darted up to the top of the stairs, in just enough time to see Joanna dart back down the hall towards her room. "Well guys, have fun! And don't be too late getting back" Robert requested loudly with a large smile.

"Will you be here when we get back?" Julian asked his father his eyes still trained on the path Joanna had just taken.

"Uh- we'll see son" Robert hesitated. "Now go" he smiled.

And with that, the teens made their way out of the door to the waiting Town Car in the drive. As he was helping Kassandra into the car Julian looked up to the house to find Joanna watching them from a large window. He paused a moment to stare back at her, before she turned and left his view. Disappointed, he climbed into the waiting car, and left.

Joanna slinked back to her room, closing the door tightly behind her. She flung herself onto the bed, fighting the urge to sob uncontrollably. She couldn't believe he had actually gone to the dance with Kassandra. She fully understood that it was up to her, that she refused to attend the dance with Julian. But she had good reason, not wanting to tip their families to their "situation". She hesitated to call it an actual relationship, not knowing exactly what they were. Julian had been her first everything, but she felt the need to keep them silent. Maybe for the same reason Vivian refused to lift the veil of the identity of her new love interest. It felt cleaner, and less complicated for them to be together without either ones family interfering. Plus Joanna was unsure how Vivian would take the news that she was sleeping with her brother. She had so many girls in and out of her life, due to the prospects of them wanting to get closer to Julian that Vivian had closed her heart to most people. That coupled with the death of their mother, the last thing Vivian needed was another change. And the admittance of her and Julian would have been too large of a change. Although she wanted to confess to her friend. She wanted to be able to giggle and gossip about a boy like they had done when they were younger. Then it was imaginary boyfriends. Now, with all that was happening, everything was just too real in both of their lives.

Also with Julian's reputation with the girls of their social circle, Joanna knew her mother would never approve. Having never been a fan of the youngest Bower boy, her mother had made her feelings about Julian, and the Bowers family well known to her daughter. She constantly promised her that as soon as she could she would find a way to "untangle them" from "that family". For Joanna to admit that she is entangled even deeper with the Bowers would be totally detrimental.

Joanna shut her eyes, wishing that everything could be different. That her mother loved Julian, that Vivian would be alright with her best friend and big brother dating, happy for both of them. That everything would work out how she wanted it. She imagined it was her, dressed and ready to go with Julian to the dance. His father elated that they were together, as he snapped his pictures away. That they danced the night away, happy, without secrets, or fears. Just joy.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on her door. But it wasn't any knock. It was the special one Julian used to inform her that it was him at the door. She turned her head to find that it was an hour and a half after they had departed for the dance. She sat up wiping her face and straitening her sweats as she walked to the door. She cracked it open to find Julian smiling widely, still dressed in his suit.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered opening the door wider to look down the hall to make sure they were alone.

"Well" he smiled as he pushed her door open, inviting himself into her room. "I was at the dance, and Kassandra was all over me" he admitted in a cocky tone. Joanna closed the door behind her, leaning against it, her arms folded in anger that he would admit what he just had. "And the music was loud, and I looked good, I mean look at me" he joked spinning in a small circle to show off his attire. "And Kassandra looked good. And everyone was dancing and feeling good" he described sliding closer to Joanna, her hand now on the knob, readying herself if she had to kick him out for being an ass. "Everyone except me. And you want to know why?" he asked wrapping his arm around Joanna's waist. "Because I wasn't there with the one girl I wanted to be with." he smiled inhaling her neck before pressing a kiss to it.

"Well" Joanna sighed allowing the feeling of his lips on her skin to relax her a bit. "You looked happy when you left here" she hissed before pushing him away from her.

"Jo" Julian whined a bit "what was I suppose to do? I asked you to go with me, to make us official to the world." he argued "You turned me down. You said you didn't want us to be out yet."

"Yeah" she agreed willing to admit her role in the issue. "But that didn't mean that you go out and run to the first girl who looks your way! I mean she kissed you"

"Yeah she kissed me" he agreed. "I didn't plan or ask for that. And who am I with now?" he asked gathering her in his grasp once again. "Joanna it's you. It's always been you and it will always be you" She pulled out of his grasp to look into his deep blue eyes. Whenever she doubted anything about him, that was all she needed to do to reassure herself. "And in fact to prove it to you I have a surprise" he smiled. "Get dressed"

"Get dressed?" she asked as he took a seat on her bed waiting for her to follow his request. "Why? Into what"

"Why?" he mocked "Because its cold out. And into a nice dress" he smiled.

Joanna paused, unsure of what to do. She then looked down at the smiling boy, who stared at her intensely and relented. "Okay give me a minute" she smiled despite herself.

"Why can't I watch?" he asked playfully as he was being lead out of her room "Not like I haven't seen everything before" he added in a cheeky manner raising a devious eyebrow.

"Because" she responded, pushing him out into the hall, leaning in impishly before closing the door on his smiling face.

"Twenty minutes" he whispered through the door, as her time limit.

"Twenty minutes" she agreed, before rushing to her closet. She knew exactly what she wanted to wear. It was the dress she bought while out shopping with Vivian cold afternoon. It was a sweet shade of light blue, that mixed well with her brown skin. She wiggled into her garment quickly, only able to zip it half way up her back. She then pulled her light pink pumps out of the closet. Finally she quickly brushed her hair into a low ponytail, leaving a few face framing pieces out. Popping in the pearl earrings Vivian gave her that previous Christmas, her new favorite jewelry, and a locket that Julian gave her, as a surprise. She only wore it on occasions, when she knew her mother would not notice it. She place a light coat of gloss on her lips just in time, hearing his knock letting her know her time was up. She straightened her dress as she opened her door. Julian's eyes let her know that she did well with such little time.

"Wow" he whispered his eyes wide, surprised that she took so little to look so amazing.

"Can you zip me?" she asked turning her back to him. She closed her eyes as she felt his finger tips against her skin as he traced the zipper up her back. She exhaled a jagged breath at his touch. "So, where are we going?" she asked reminding both of them that he had a surprised planed for her.

"Oh right" he perked up before ordering her "Put this one" handing her a blindfold. Joanna hesitated unsure of what Julian had up his sleeve. "Please" he begged for good measure throwing in his sweetest smile.

Joanna pressed her lips together before placing the clothe to her eyes, rendering her blind for the moment, as Julian tied it against her eyes. She then felt him slid a coat onto her shoulders causing a certain amount of anxiety to rise in her. When he made sure she was all bundled up, he lead her out of her room, holding her waist in one hand, her hand in another, leaving her second hand free to help guild herself and feel around for clues. He lead her down the stairs and right out of the door, the cold February night air, stealing a bit of her breath as a small chill constricted her diaphragm. They walked a bit, her feet feeling first stone, then gravel and finally grass.

Once finally at their destination, he positioned her alone asking her to "Stay right there, I'll be right back"

"Julian" she pouted nervously feeling around her body for him, but only finding the cold night air.

"Don't worry" he chuckled, his voice a bit far for her liking. She stood still as he asked, breathing deeply, sure if she had full use of her vision, she would see her breath as it exited her chest. Suddenly she felt his hand at her waist again, as he pulled her close to him. They walked forward up two steps and into a doorway, his warm breath at her ear.

"Okay we're here" he announced a proud smile in his voice. "Take the blindfold off"

Joanna slid the cloth from her eyes, to find that they were in the late Katharine Bowers botanical garden. The one they would escape to, when they required privacy to talk. It was their own private sanctuary. And since his mother's death, the place he said he could always "feel her". But it was lit by strings of Christmas lights, and heat lamps, that allowed lush vegetation to grow in even the coldest winter months. And in the center, was a small portable CD player.

"Julian" Joanna exclaimed breathlessly "What is all this?"

"Well" he smiled walking farther into the enclosed garden "I wanted to take you to a dance. You refused. So I figured why not bring the dance to you" he smiled turning on the CD player. Soft slow music melted out of the speakers. "Dance with me?" he asked holding out one hand to her. She smiled softly blushing at his offer, she slipped her hand into his as an acceptance. He twirled her around before pulling her in close to his body. They swayed softly to the beat, gazing into each other's eyes. His thumb stroked the small of her back gently as they danced, her head snuggled against his shoulder. She sighed smelling his cologne as she nuzzled against him. She drifted away on his music and scent as they danced the rest of the night away.

"Well, I have to say" Julian joked as walked Joanna to her bedroom door "I put on one hell of a dance. Maybe I should join the dance committee, if it wasn't so lame" he joked leaning against the door frame of her room.

"It was nice" she agreed opening her door. She turned to him, and reached up kissing him sweetly on his lips. "Thank you Julian"

"Hey, no sweat" he shrugged "Your worth it" He pressed a kiss to her temple before starting to head down the hall to his room. "Night" he sighed.

He was stopped when he felt a hand on his forearm. He turned to find Joanna walking into her room still holding on to him. "The night doesn't have to end yet" she smiled pulling him into her room, closing the door behind him.

_Joanna sat up, silently sliding her diary out of her secret spot, giggling as Julian slept peacefully next to her._

_... I know he's far from perfect. But he's perfect for me. And I'm happy with him. Julian Bowers makes me happy. So why am I still scared to tell anyone about my little piece of happiness?_

_Joanna_


End file.
